The Russian Foreign Minister insists on Russia's involvement in the discussions on security guarantees for Ukraine. Russian authorities have imposed entry bans on 21 people for allegedly collaborating with"destructive British media." More in the live ticker.

Following the Ukraine summit in Washington, the question of reliable security guarantees for Kyiv following a potential peace agreement is coming into focus. The question of the location and timing of a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy remains open.

All events related to the Ukraine conflict in the live ticker:

19:50 – Lithuania: Would be there with soldiers in Ukraine peace mission

Lithuania intends to contribute troops and military equipment to a potential peacekeeping mission in Ukraine. President Gitanas Nauseda said on television that the country is ready to contribute as many soldiers as parliament allows.

18:01 – NATO military chiefs: Had open discussion about Ukraine

According to the chairman of the Military Committee, the military chiefs of NATO states had an excellent and open discussion on the situation in Ukraine."With regard to Ukraine, we confirmed our support. A just, credible, and lasting peace remains a priority," Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone wrote after a video conference on X.

5:09 PM – Poland: Drone originates from Russia

According to the Polish government, a Russian military drone crashed into a cornfield in eastern Poland. Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said the incident was a provocation by Russia.

16:36 – Kyiv Mayor Klitschko warns of insufficient security guarantees

Kyiv's mayor Vitali Klitschko warns against accepting weak security guarantees in negotiations with Russia. Ukraine made this mistake once before, in 1994. Ukraine had"very bad experiences with the Budapest Memorandum," Klitschko told WELT TV."Budapest Memorandum? We can call it toilet paper. That's why we don't want to make exactly the same mistake again." At that time, Ukraine renounced nuclear weapons, Russia promised to recognize Ukrainian sovereignty – and while the West assured Ukraine of security guarantees in a political declaration of intent, it did not formulate any concrete commitments to military assistance.

This time, there must be truly robust security guarantees, Klitschko warned. If Russia does not accept NATO membership for Ukraine,"then we must find other structures for a long-term guarantee," Klitschko demanded. Otherwise, what"all our experts say" threatens to happen: The Russians can take this break and invade again, in a few months or a few years. He hopes that the Europeans will attend a possible Zelenskyy-Putin summit, because it is about the entire security of Europe.

16:34 – BSW boss Wagenknecht supports Kretschmer

BSW Federal Chairwoman Sahra Wagenknecht supports the call by Saxony's Minister-President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) to rule out the deployment of German peacekeeping troops to Ukraine."The fact that Friedrich Merz offered the deployment of Bundeswehr soldiers to Ukraine as a possible option in Washington as part of Western security guarantees is a serious mistake. It is absolutely right that Michael Kretschmer opposes a Bundeswehr deployment," Wagenknecht told WELT."For historical reasons alone, German troops are out of the question. In the event of a conflict, Germany would immediately become a party to the war, and that must be prevented. The SPD is also open to a Bundeswehr deployment. If the CDU/CSU-SPD coalition truly wants to send Bundeswehr soldiers to Ukraine, Merz must consult the people. The public must be able to veto it through a referendum."

4:11 p.m. – Russia imposes entry bans

Russia has imposed entry bans on 21 people. They are accused of collaborating with"destructive British media" to spread anti-Russian narratives, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow announced. Among those affected are journalists, experts, and members of non-governmental organizations. Their names will be added to a"stop list" that has included hundreds of Western citizens since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. Britain, for its part, had previously announced new sanctions against cryptocurrency networks used by Russia.

15:53 – Lavrov: Moscow wants to have a say in security guarantees

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticized ongoing efforts to provide security guarantees for Ukraine without Moscow's involvement. His country cannot agree with the proposal to resolve collective security issues without the Russian Federation, Lavrov said during a press appearance with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman al-Safadi in Moscow, according to a report by the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti."This will not work." Russia will "resolutely and rigorously ensure its legitimate interests," Lavrov emphasized.

Russia is ready for further negotiations with Ukraine in any format, Lavrov stated. At their summit in Alaska last Friday, Kremlin President Putin proposed to US President Trump that the delegations that recently participated in largely fruitless direct talks in Istanbul be increased in size. A separate negotiating block would then examine the political, military, and humanitarian aspects of an agreement, Lavrov added.

3:23 p.m. – Explosion in eastern Poland: Authorities suspect crash of military drone

According to authorities, a military drone apparently crashed into a cornfield in eastern Poland. An explosion occurred in the town of Osiny, about 100 kilometers southeast of Warsaw, on Wednesday night, police reported. There were no casualties, but windows in nearby buildings were damaged.

2:04 p.m. – Putin and Erdogan talk on the Ukraine war

Kremlin chief Putin and Turkish President Erdogan spoke by phone regarding developments in the Ukraine war. According to the Kremlin in Moscow and the presidential office in Ankara, Putin informed his Turkish counterpart about last week's summit with US President Donald Trump in Alaska. The Russian side thanked Turkey for its support in the talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, it added. Issues of economic cooperation were also discussed.

1:21 p.m. – Federal Government: “Putin must deliver now”

The German government expects the Russian president to act now."Putin must deliver now," said deputy government spokesperson Steffen Meyer.

13:05 – “Talks not without Russia,” says Lavrov

According to Foreign Minister Lavrov, Russia supports reliable security guarantees for Ukraine. Russia hopes the US understands that talks on security issues without Russia are a"road to nowhere," Lavrov said in Moscow. The US has an increasingly clear understanding of the"root causes" of the Ukraine crisis, he added.

11:42 a.m. – “The Bundeswehr will of course be able to participate in this,” says the former general

Hans-Lothar Domröse, retired general in the German Armed Forces, puts forward another proposal in the discussion about security guarantees. In addition to on-site deployment, there is also a second option:"deployment on the horizon, that is, at home," he told WELT TV.

"I led such a force myself, the NATO Response Force, 50,000 troops," Domröse said. Putin rejects the stationing of NATO soldiers on Ukrainian soil. However, the stationing of troops"over the horizon" would mean: "Then they'll be ready and can come at any time. Crucially, they won't be deployed until Putin attacks for the third time."

“And the Bundeswehr will of course be able to participate in this,” the former general continued.

11:30 a.m. – AfD rejects discussion about German troops in Ukraine

AfD leader Tino Chrupalla opposes the deployment of German troops to Ukraine as part of possible security guarantees."The risk that Germany will then actually enter into military conflict" is "immensely high," he said in an interview with WELT TV. He praised the meeting between US President Trump and Russian leader Putin in Alaska:"It was essentially a lesson for the Europeans (...) in how to conduct talks."

10:22 a.m.: Peace could help him get a place in heaven, says Trump

A peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine could, according to US President Donald Trump, increase his chances of a place in heaven."I want to try to get to heaven if possible," he said on the morning show "Fox & Friends." "I hear that I'm not doing well, that I'm at the bottom of the list," the US president explained."But if I make it to heaven, that will be one of the reasons," Trump said.

07:41 – Ten countries apparently ready to send troops

Ten EU countries are reportedly ready to send troops to war-torn Ukraine, according to people familiar with the matter, according to Bloomberg. A plan with France and Great Britain taking the lead in the initiative was discussed at a meeting of European officials on Tuesday evening.

07:24 – Kretschmer against German ground troops

Saxony's Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer opposes German ground troops in Ukraine."The fact that German soldiers are fighting in Ukraine must not be an issue," the deputy CDU chairman told Der Spiegel magazine. In his opinion, Germany cannot guarantee security in Ukraine."The Bundeswehr lacks the prerequisites for that," Kretschmer said.

06:59 – Former US general calls for “many thousands of European soldiers”

According to the former commander of the US Armed Forces in Europe, effective protection of Ukraine requires thousands of European soldiers."Without the deployment of many thousands of European soldiers on the ground with a clear mission, strict rules of engagement, and genuine capabilities that Russia respects, such guarantees remain empty shells," Ben Hodges told the German editorial network.

05:00 – References to Ukraine summit in Budapest

Evidence is mounting that the presidents of Ukraine and Russia will meet with Donald Trump in Budapest. According to Politico, the Secret Service, which is responsible for the US president's security, is already making arrangements for the meeting. The Hungarian capital was suggested during a meeting between Trump and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

03:13 – Zelenskyy gives Trump golf clubs

The Ukrainian president presented the golf-loving US president with a golf club from a wounded Ukrainian soldier during their meeting at the White House. The club belonged to officer Kostiantyne Kartavtsev, according to Zelensky's office. Zelensky met with Trump in Washington on Monday in the presence of several European heads of state and government.

The veterans' organization United by Golf, of which Kartavtsev is also a member, released a video on Tuesday in which Trump thanked them for the gift."It's beautiful. It was made with a lot of love, and you gave it to me with a lot of love," the US president said.

01:57 – USA: Putin has “promised” meeting with Zelensky

According to the White House, Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In response to repeated follow-up questions from reporters in Washington about whether Putin had"promised" a direct meeting in the coming weeks, spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt finally responded:"He has." She had previously answered questions on the subject repeatedly with evasive answers.

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